I have been a ham since I was 14 when I got my first license as a General Class. My first call sign was K0GKD. I stayed active for many years, and for some reason quit “hamming” about 25 years ago. I just got my license back in August (2003), and my old call sign - wow what luck. I think 9/11 got me thinking about “ham radio”, and how much I enjoyed this great hobby. I especially like building and working on my own equipment - see Projects or View my Ham Shack. My XYL and I live in the Kansas City area where we bought a ten acre horse farm 20 years ago. I have three children, and five grandchildren. My wife and daughter ride and show. I like to play golf, tennis, and "ham".
I am proud of my family and you are welcome to view pictures of some of our outings! (family pictures).
73's Good "Hamming" and God Bless!
My first job after college was in New York working for an financial publication and investment advisory firm. To avoid being drafted and going to the Army (and Viet Nam) I joined the Navy. I ended up in Viet Nam anyway on a minesweeper - the USS Constant (MSO 427). During our tour operating off of the coast I got orders to take command of a river boat - a "sitting duck" billet. It sounded exciting at my then young age. Fortunately for me the orders were canceled when they could not find my replacement for the USS Constant so I stayed on board. After leaving the Viet Nam war zone we were fortunate in getting CNO (Chief of Naval Operations) permission to operate "maritime mobile" using a home brew rig I built in my spare time. We operated all of the way home via the Solomon Islands, Australia, Fiji, and American Samoa. We did a lot of phone patches back to the "States" for the crew and their families. After leaving the Navy I continued to "ham" until about 1980 when I let my license expire? (:<)
